Bifidobacterium plantarum and Improved Gut Microbiota Balance

Research synthesisLow evidenceModerate effect6 studies · 6 beneficial · 0 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 6 review-level studies, all reported beneficial effects on gut microbiota balance with a predominant moderate effect size. However, no study provided statistically significant results, and none reported doses, forms, or durations. The evidence is consistent but limited to narrative reviews, and the overwhelmingly positive direction raises concern for publication bias.

Studied populations: patients with chronic kidney disease, individuals with obesity

Caveats: Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). None of the included studies reported statistical significance, and all were narrative reviews without primary clinical trials. No dose, form, or duration data were provided. The findings often come from reviews of general probiotics or multi-strain products, so effects specific to Bifidobacterium plantarum are difficult to isolate.

Generated Jul 11, 2026

7 of 7 papers

Multispecies Probiotic Supplementation in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): Insights From Indian Nephrology Experts.
- 2026-01-28
- Review
- Cureus 18(1)
- - Pankaj Beniwal
  - Manish Singla
  - Deba Prasad Kar
  - Vinant Bhargava
  - Naman Chandra
  - D K Sinha
  - Vivek Ruhela
  - Rathan Jha
  - Rajesh Joseph
  - Vishnu Rs
  - Nitin Bhosle
  - Kapil Mehta
  - Sarita Bajpai
- PubMed: 41769608
- DOI: 10.7759/cureus.102520
6 Insights on
- Improved Gut Microbiota Balance
- Low evidence
probiotics, through their ability to restore gut micro-ecology, strengthen the intestinal barrier integrity, modulate the immune system, and mitigate systemic inflammation, offer a promising add-on therapy to traditional CKD therapies
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Microbiota management: a perspective for kidney transplant patients.
- 2026-02-19
- Review
- Frontiers in transplantation 5
- - Cláudia Silva Souza
  - Niels Olsen Saraiva Camara
  - Thaís Alves-Silva
- PubMed: 41798990
- DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2026.1703048
7 Insights on
- Improved Gut Microbiota Balance
- Low evidence
Clinical studies have demonstrated that the combination of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics-supplements that aid in the establishment of intestinal microbiota-can effectively help control the production of nitrogenous substances, reduce renal inflammation, and alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with CKD.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Microbial biofortification of fermented foods: a review of probiotic-mediated nutrient enhancement.
- 2026-02-12
- Review
- Frontiers in nutrition 13
- - Fahad Saad Alhodieb
- PubMed: 41769659
- DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1754233
4 Insights on
- Improved Gut Microbiota Balance
- Low evidence
promotes gut microbial balance
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Nutritional Status in Obesity: A Comprehensive Narrative Review of Dysbiosis, Micronutrient Deficiencies and the Effects of Probiotics/Synbiotics.
- 2026-02-28
- Review
- Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) 62(3)
- - Andra-Diana Cecan
  - Adriana-Florinela Cătoi
  - Anca But
  - Iulia-Ioana Morar
- PubMed: 41901543
- DOI: 10.3390/medicina62030458
3 Insights on
- Improved Gut Microbiota Balance
- Low evidence
probiotics are a safe and promising therapeutic approach for managing metabolic disorders. Several in vivo and clinical studies have reported a potential causal relationship between probiotic supplementation and the improvement of weight-related conditions... highlighting the potential role of probiotics in restoring microbiota balance and improving metabolic dysfunctions related to excess body weight.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Bio-Functional Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Functional Foods.
- 2026-02-03
- Review
- Foods (Basel, Switzerland) 15(3)
- - Svetoslav Dimitrov Todorov
- PubMed: 41683114
- DOI: 10.3390/foods15030528
8 Insights on
- Improved Gut Microbiota Balance
- Low evidence
Bifidobacterium plantarum ... were observed to regulate gut microflora balance and enhance host digestive health.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
The Role of Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Postbiotics in Livestock and Poultry Gut Health: A Review.
- 2025-07-15
- Review
- Metabolites 15(7)
- - Taojing Yue
  - Yanan Lu
  - Wenli Ding
  - Bowen Xu
  - Cai Zhang
  - Lei Li
  - Fuchun Jian
  - Shucheng Huang
- PubMed: 40710579
- DOI: 10.3390/metabo15070478
5 Insights on
- Improved Gut Microbiota Balance
- Low evidence
Probiotics, such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces, modulate the gut microbiota, enhance the gut barrier, and regulate the immune system.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Q180 supplementation restores high-fat diet-induced gut dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice.
- 2026-01-23
- Journal of applied microbiology 137(2)
- - Minseo Cho
  - Jaeryang Chu
  - Chae-Won No
  - Yeon-Woo Kim
  - Jiwoo Lee
  - Hyunchae Joung
  - Yoo Jin Kwon
  - Chang Hun Shin
  - Jisu Lee
  - Jung-Heun Ha
- PubMed: 41574946
- DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxag021
4 Insights on
- Improved Gut Microbiota Balance
- Low evidence
- Animal Study
LPQ supplementation restored microbial balance, increasing short-chain fatty acid-producing genera (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Blautia, and Faecalibaculum) and reducing potentially pathogenic taxa.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate

Bifidobacterium plantarum and Improved Gut Microbiota Balance

Multispecies Probiotic Supplementation in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): Insights From Indian Nephrology Experts.

Microbiota management: a perspective for kidney transplant patients.

Microbial biofortification of fermented foods: a review of probiotic-mediated nutrient enhancement.

Nutritional Status in Obesity: A Comprehensive Narrative Review of Dysbiosis, Micronutrient Deficiencies and the Effects of Probiotics/Synbiotics.

Bio-Functional Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Functional Foods.

The Role of Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Postbiotics in Livestock and Poultry Gut Health: A Review.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Q180 supplementation restores high-fat diet-induced gut dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice.